The present invention relates to a communication parameters setting technique in a communication service where it is required to set, for each user, communication parameters corresponding to quality condition, and use of a line.
In xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service, the quality of a line is influenced by a distance between each end user and a station (hereinafter referred to as an “accommodation station”) that accommodates a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) or an amount of noise due to radio waves therebetween. Also, in the xDSL service described above, speeding-up of the effective speed of the line and stabilization of the quality of the line are in correlation with each other. That is, in the xDSL service, an increase of the line effective speed lowers the line quality and an improvement of the line quality reduces the line effective speed. Here, the demands of the end user on the line varies in various ways depending on use of application which the end user uses. Accordingly, in order to provide each end user with an optimum line quality, it is required to set communication parameters for each end user on a DSLAM side in great detail.
In the communication parameters setting described above, when large noise occurs on the used communication line, it is required to stabilize the line quality. In order to stabilize the line quality, when a fluctuation amount of the noise between the end user and the accommodation station is large, for instance, a noise margin value that is a DSLAM communication parameter is increased. Also, the line of which the noise fluctuation amount is small (the line of which quality is stabilized) sets, the communication parameters performed so that the noise margin value is decreased and the line speed is increased.
However, a fluctuation width of the noise varies depending on the used line. In addition, the noise fluctuation width also varies depending on time zone. Therefore, it is not easy for a communication service provider to set optimum communication parameters for each end user.
Therefore, the conventional communication parameters setting is performed through the following procedure. First, the communication service provider sets the uniform communication parameters for every end user when the line is put into service. Following this, on receiving a complaint from the end user about the line quality, an expert, such as an operator, at the communication service provider changes the communication parameters setting for the end user.
Aside from this, there is also a case where a line log of each end user within a specified passing time from the start of service is checked, and a setting change is automatically made to the line to which a line disconnection frequently occurs.
As described above, in the conventional communication service, at the time of start of service, a line is provided for the end user under a uniform setting. Therefore, communication parameters corresponding to each line are not set, so it is hard to say that favorable line quality is necessarily provided to every end user (see (1) in FIG. 10). In this case, the end user makes a complaint to a contact center (client service center) of the communication service provider using means such as a telephone (see (2) in FIG. 10) and so on. Then, in accordance with the complaint from the end user, the operator (expert) at the communication service provider manually makes a change to the communication parameters setting of the line that the end user uses.
Also, even when the change of the communication parameters setting is made in accordance with the complaint from the end user in this manner, the setting is not necessarily an optimum setting for the end user. Accordingly, there is a case where the end user makes a complaint to the communication service provider repeatedly before he/she obtains an optimum communication parameters setting. In addition, there is also a case where even when the end user temporarily obtains an optimum setting through the communication parameters setting change, the optimum communication parameters setting varies due to an environmental change in the region of the end user. An example of the environmental change of the line described above includes a change in installation situation of a peripheral ISDN line. Accordingly, it is not easy for each end user to always obtain an optimum setting at the time of use of the xDSL service. Also, this incurs lowering of the level of end user satisfaction with the xDSL service (see (3) in FIG. 10). Further, at the communication service provider, manpower is required to address client complaints, which incurs an increase in cost such as labor cost (see (4) in FIG. 10) and so on.
Also, in the case where the line log of each end user within a specified passing time from the start of service is checked, and a setting change is automatically made to each line to which a line disconnection frequently occurs, a considerable time is taken from recognition of a problem by the end user to the setting change. Also, in such a case, the problem of the communication parameters is found with reference to the line log, so there is no case of setting appropriate communication parameters for each user.
Further, in the case of rate of deterioration in the line quality in a certain period of around several days, there occurs a problem in that the line speed is reduced more than necessary in order to enhance the line quality.
It should be noted here that as an example of conventional and general service where a user request with respect to the communication service is accepted at the communication service provider, there is service where an application for a change of the contents of a contract to use the communication service is accepted on a Web site (see “NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE EAST CORPORATION, “FLET'S ADSL change application” (online), NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE EAST CORPORATION, (search was conducted on Dec. 20, 2002) Internet URL:http://www.ntt-east.co.jp/cgi-bin/flets/alter/adsl/adrnwl1.cgi”, for instance).